Hinged prop for picture frames



HINGED PROP FOR PICTURE FRAMES Feb. 20, 1951 BABB'TT 2,542,958

Filed June 1, 1948 3m entor JOHN F. BABE/7'7 C(ttorneg Patented Feb. 20, 1951 u NIT E o STATES PAT ENT OFFICE HlNGED PRO FOR PICTURE FRAMES.

John F. Babbitt, Louisville, Ky assignor to J. Pilcher Mfg. Company, Incorporated; Louisville,

Ky., acorporation of Kentucky Applicationfune 1, 1948;, Serial. No. 30,425, 4 Claims. (01. arse-3e Thisihvention relates to improvements in a hinge structure for attaching a prop to the backs of picture frames, mirrors and the like.

The mainobjects of this invention are to provide a highly dependable articulation between a prop and the back of a display device through the use of a. minimum quantity of, the highest grade material and a small amount of unskilled labor.

Another object if this invention is to provide a superior appearance of the product adverted to above while accomplishing the objects outlined in the preceding paragraph.

Figure l is a perspective view of my hinge attached to a prop and the back of a picture frame or other display device.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the hinge per se on an enlarged scale as it appears after attachment, however, without the back or prop.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the blank, on an enlarged scale, from which the dead leaf of the hinge is formed.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the blank, on an enlarged scale, from which the live leaf of the hinge is formed.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation along the central vertical plane of Fig. l, on an enlarged scale, to disclose the hinge and the attachment elements to the prop and back members.

Numerals t, "l, 8, 9 and It designate respectively, the back member of a picture frame or the like, the prop therefor, the dead leaf of the hinge, the live leaf of the hinge and the pintle to complete the articulation.

Blank H is fabricated from sheet metal with prongs i2, 12 and lip l3. Prior to assembly the prongs are bent at right angles to the body It and the lip is curled to provide knuckle I5. These prongs are threaded through correlated slots in back 6 curled and embedded a shown at It.

Blank l! is fabricated from sheet metal with two pairs of prongs l8, l8 and l9, l9 and projection 26 having hole 2! cut therein for suspending the complete assembly. These prongs are bent at right angles to body 22 and the remote ends of it, It are curled inwardly to provide knuckles 23, 23 before attachment to prop I. It should be noted that, when assembled, these knuckle are disposed on the back face of the prop while body 22 lies on the front face and prongs l8, l8 embrace the side edges 24, 24 and are embedded into the back face of the prop. The portions of prongs I9, is between the knuckles 23, 23 and body 24, referred to hereinafter as shanks, have been carefully planned to serve as an abutment for the top end face 25 of the prop and to conceal theend' portions thereof thus providing protection for the corners, against nlechanicalabrasion and a neat appealing finish. When the prop is made of cardboard or plywood it is covered with a fabric (not indicated) that. also covers prongs l8, l8 and body 22*, leaving the shanks exposed.

Again referring to prop i, it should be noted that in the incidentembodiment of this invention the pattern employed is substantially that of the central plane of a truncated cone, therefore, prongs i8, [8 being lodged on inclined planes, would have a tendency to slip away from the desired location if the ends of these prongs were not curled and definitely embedded into the back face of the prop, thus serving a double purpose.

In addition to supplying an eye for suspending the assembly, projection 28 serves as a stop for the prop and being of pliable sheet metal can be bent at will to effect the desired display angle of the picture frame.

Pintle I!) can be applied to effect assembly of the knuckle before or after attachment of the leaves to their respective parts.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiment of my invention herein disclosed is well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. As a new article of manfacture, a hinge for articulating the back of a picture frame or the like to a prop therefor comprising a dead leaf, a live leaf and a pintle; said dead leaf being disposed on one side of the back and having rearwardly projecting prongs extending therethrough and secured to the back face thereof and a forwardly projecting lip curled to provide one knuckle of the hinge; the live leaf applied to the outside face of the prop and having two pairs of rearwardly projecting prongs, one pair of which embrace the side edges of and penetrate the rear face thereof while the ends of the other pair are curled to embrace said rear face of the prop and provide a pair of knuckles of the hinge in alignment with the knuckle of the dead leaf.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a hinge for articulating the back of a picture frame or the like to a prop therefor comprising a dead leaf, a live leaf and a pintle; said dead leaf being disposed on one side of the back and having rearwardly projecting prongs extending through and secured to the back face thereof and a forwardly projecting lip curled to provide one knuckle of 3 the hinge; the live leaf applied to the outside face of the prop and having a coplanar extension and two pairs of rearwardly projecting prongs, one pair of which embrace the side edges of and penetrate the rear face thereof while the ends of the other pair are curled to embrace said rear face of the prop and provide a pair of knuckles of the hinge in alignment with the knuckle of the dead leaf; said extension being formed and disposed to provide a stop to limit the travel of the prop.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a hinge for articulating the back ofa picture frame or the like to a prop therefor comprising a dead leaf, 9, live leaf and a pintle; said dead leaf being disposed on one side of the back and having rearwardly projecting prongs extending through and secured to the back face thereof and a forwardly projecting lip curled to provide one knuckle of the hinge; the live leaf applied to the outside face of the prop and having two pairs of rearwardly projecting prongs, one pair of which embrace the side edges of and penetrate the rear face thereof While the ends of the other pair are formed to provide a pair of knuckles of the hinge in aligmnent with the knuckle of the dead leaf and shanks overlying the top edge face of the prop.

4. As a new article of manufacture, a hinge for articulating the back of a picture frame or the like to a prop therefor comprising a dead leaf,

a live leaf and a pintle; said dead leaf being disposed on one side of the back and having rearwardly projecting prongs extending therethrough and secured to the back face thereof and a forwardly projecting lip formed to provide a pintle bearing of the hinge; the live leaf affixed to one face of the prop and having two pairs of rear- Wardly projecting prongs, one pair of which embrace the side edges of and penetrate the rear face thereof while the ends of the other pair are formed to provide a pair of pintle bearings of the hinge in alignment with the pintle bearing of the dead leaf.

JOHN F. BABBITT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 243,407 Shedlock June 28, 1881 733,860 Mendel July 14, 1903 887,767 Carr May 19, 1908 940,472 Oldenbusch Nov. 16, 1909 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 295,531 Great Britain Aug. 16, 1928 

